Effects of strength training on motor performance skills in children and adolescents: a meta-analysis

Michael Behringer, Andreas vom Heede, Maria Matthews, Joachim Mester

    Publication: Contribution to journalJournal articlesResearch

    Abstract

    The recent literature delineates resistance training in children and adolescents to be effective and safe. However, only little is known about the transfer of achieved strength gains to athletic performance. The present meta-analysis revealed a combined mean effect size for motor skill types jumping, running, and throwing of 0.52 (95% CI: 0.33-0.71). Effect sizes for each of aforementioned skill types separately were 0.54 (95% CI: 0.34-0.74), 0.53 (95% CI: 0.23-0.83), and 0.99 (95% CI: 0.19-1.79) respectively. Furthermore, it could be shown that younger subjects and nonathletes showed higher gains in motor performance following resistance training than their counterparts and that specific resistance training regimes were not advantageous over traditional resistance training programs. Finally, a positive dose response relationship for "intensity" could be found in subgroups using traditional training regimens. These results emphasize that resistance training provides an effective way for enhancing motor performance in children and adolescents.

    Original languageEnglish
    JournalPediatric exercise science
    Volume23
    Issue number2
    Pages (from-to)186-206
    Number of pages21
    Publication statusPublished - 01.05.2011

    Research areas and keywords

    • Adolescent
    • Age Factors
    • Arm
    • Child
    • Confidence Intervals
    • Female
    • Humans
    • Leg
    • Male
    • Motor Skills
    • Muscle Contraction
    • Muscle Strength
    • Muscle, Skeletal
    • Regression Analysis
    • Running
    • Shoulder
    • Statistics as Topic
    • Task Performance and Analysis

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